Japan’s top ranking Kyudo instructors to meet American students

American Kyudo Seminar  July 16 – 19  Bren Events Center at the University of California, Irvine

Cultural News, July 2008

Sensei Kubota, Hachidan Hanshi, demonstrates Kyudo.

     Kyudo is a Japanese martial art that uses the bow and arrow for training, much like Karate uses the hands and feet. Like all Japanese martial arts, the training goes beyond just the physical aspect. Kyudo has been practiced for several centuries in Japan.

    Modern Kyudo was started in the 1930’s in Japan in an effort to standardize the teaching of this shooting style.  In 1949, the formation of the All Nihon Kyudo Federation set forth the standards that all federation style dojos (training studios) would teach.

      Since 1992, the American Kyudo Seminar is held every year under the auspices of the American Kyudo Renmei (Federation). In the past, dojos in South Carolina, Indiana, Northern California and Georgia have hosted the seminar.

     From July 16 - 19, in celebration of Southern California’s 100 years of Kyudo, the Nanka Kyudo Renmei is hosting the American Kyudo Seminar at the Bren Events Center at the University of California, Irvine. Over 100 students from all over the U.S., Canada and even Argentina are expected to come for the seminar.

    The All Nihon Kyudo Federation will be sending four Hachidan Hanshi (eighth rank) instructors to lead the seminar. The number of active Hanchidan Hanshi is fewer than 100 in Japan, and it usually takes decades to reach this level of skill. 

   The seminar will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, testing will start at 9 a.m. The public is allowed to observe the seminar and testing.  Hachidan Hanshi demonstrations are scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday at 9 a.m. For more information about the American Kyudo Seminar, call Doug Sakurai at (714) 469-4300. More information on the history of Kyudo in the U.S. can be found at www.kyudo.com.